§1Multa sunt a nobis et in Academicis conscripta contra physicos et saepe cum P. Nigidio Carneadeo more et modo disputata.
Many things have been written by us, both in our Academic books against the physicists, and often disputed with Publius Nigidius in the manner and method of Carneades.
Fuit enim vir ille cum ceteris artibus, quae quidem dignae libero essent, ornatus omnibus, tum acer investigator et diligens earum rerum, quae a natura involutae videntur; denique sic iudico, post illos nobiles Pythagoreos, quorum disciplina extincta est quodam modo, cum aliquot saecla in Italia Siciliaque viguisset, hunc extitisse, qui illam renovaret.
For that man was not only adorned with all other arts—at least those worthy of a free man—but was also a keen and diligent investigator of those things which seem to be enveloped by nature; finally, I judge thus, that after those noble Pythagoreans, whose discipline had become extinct in a way after flourishing for several centuries in Italy and Sicily, this man arose to renew it.
§2Qui cum me in Ciliciam proficiscentem Ephesi expectavisset Romam ex legatione ipse decedens, venissetque eodem Mytilenis mei salutandi et visendi causa Cratippus, Peripateticorum omnium, quos quidem ego audierim, meo iudicio facile princeps, perlibenter et Nigidium vidi et cognovi Cratippum.
When he, returning himself from his legation to Rome, had waited for me at Ephesus as I was setting out for Cilicia, and Cratippus—by my judgment easily the foremost of all the Peripatetics whom I indeed have heard—had come to the same place from Mytilene for the sake of greeting and visiting me, I very gladly both saw Nigidius and made the acquaintance of Cratippus.
Ac primum quidem tempus salutationis in percontatione consumpsimus * * * §3Quid est, quod semper sit neque ullum habeat ortum, et quod gignatur nec umquam sit? Quorum alterum intellegentia et ratione conprehenditur, quod unum atque idem semper est;
And indeed, we spent the first period of our greeting in mutual inquiries * * * What is that which always is and has no origin, and what is that which comes to be and never is?
alterum, quod adfert opinionem sensus rationis expers, quod totum opinabile est, id gignitur et interit nec umquam esse vere potest.
Of these, the former is grasped by intelligence and reason, being always one and the same; the latter, to which sensation devoid of reason brings opinion, being entirely a matter of opinion, comes to be and perishes, and can never truly exist.
Omne autem, quod gignitur, ex aliqua causa gigni necesse est; nullius enim rei causa remota reperiri origo potest.
But everything that comes to be must of necessity come to be from some cause; for if the cause is removed, the origin of nothing can be found.
§4Quocirca si is, qui aliquod munus efficere molitur, eam speciem, quae semper eadem est, intuebitur atque id sibi proponet exemplar, praeclarum opus efficiat necesse est; sin autem eam, quae gignitur, numquam illam, quam expetet, pulchritudinem consequetur.
Wherefore, if he who strives to fashion some work looks to that form which is always the same, and proposes that to himself as a model, he must of necessity produce a splendid work; but if he looks to that which comes to be, he will never attain that beauty which he desires.
Omne igitur caelum sive mundus, sive quo alio vocabulo gaudet, hoc a nobis nuncupatus sit— §5de quo id primum consideremus, quod principio est in omni quaestione considerandum, semperne fuerit nullo generatus ortu, an ortus sit ab aliquo temporis principatu.
Therefore, let the whole heaven, or the world, or by whatever other name it is pleased to be called, be named by us thus— concerning which let us first consider that which must be considered in the beginning of every inquiry: whether it has always been, generated by no origin, or whether it arose from some beginning of time.
Ortus est, quandoquidem cernitur et tangitur et est undique corporatus.
It has arisen, since it is seen and touched and is everywhere corporeal.
Omnia autem talia sensum movent, sensusque moventia quae sunt, eadem in opinatione considunt; quae ortum habere gignique diximus, nihil autem gigni posse sine causis.
Now all such things move the senses, and those things which move the senses settle in opinion; these we have said have an origin and come to be, and nothing can come to be without causes.
§6Atque illum quidem quasi parentem huius universitatis invenire difficile et, cum iam inveneris, indicare in vulgus nefas.
And indeed, to find that father, as it were, of this universe is difficult, and when you have found him, it is a transgression to declare him to the common people.
Rursus igitur videndum, ille fabricator huius tanti operis utrum sit imitatus exemplar, idne, quod semper unum et idem et sui simile, an id, quod generatum ortumque dicimus.
Therefore we must look again to see which model that builder of so great a work imitated: that which is always one and the same and like itself, or that which we call generated and created.
Atqui si pulcher est hic mundus et si probus eius artifex, profecto speciem aeternitatis imitari maluit, sin secus, quod ne dictu quidem fas est, generatum exemplum est pro aeterno secutus.
But if this world is beautiful and its maker is good, he surely preferred to imitate the form of eternity; but if otherwise—which is not even lawful to speak of—he followed a generated model instead of the eternal one.
§7Non igitur dubium, quin aeternitatem maluerit exsequi, quandoquidem neque mundo quicquam pulchrius neque eius aedificatore praestantius.
There is no doubt, therefore, that he preferred to pursue eternity, since nothing is more beautiful than the world, nor more outstanding than its builder.
Sic ergo generatus ad id est effectus, quod ratione sapientiaque conprehenditur atque aeternitate inmutabili continetur.
Thus, then, being generated, it was fashioned according to that which is grasped by reason and wisdom and contained by immutable eternity.
Ex quo efficitur, ut sit necesse hunc, quem cernimus, mundum simulacrum aeternum esse alicuius aeterni.
From which it follows that this world which we discern must of necessity be an eternal image of something eternal.
Difficillimum autem est in omni conquisitione rationis exordium.
But the beginning in every inquiry of reason is most difficult.
De iis igitur, quae diximus, haec sit prima distinctio.
Therefore, concerning those things which we have said, let this be the first distinction.
§8Omni orationi cum iis rebus, de quibus explicat, videtur esse cognatio.
Every discourse seems to have a kinship with those things which it explains.
Itaque cum de re stabili et inmutabili disputat oratio, talis sit, qualis illa, quae neque redargui neque convinci potest.
Therefore, when a discourse disputes about a stable and immutable matter, let it be such as cannot be refuted or disproved.
Cum autem ingressa est imitata et efficta simulacra, bene agi putat, si similitudinem veri consequatur.
But when it has entered upon imitated and fashioned images, it considers it well done if it attains a likeness of the truth.
Quantum enim ad id, quod ortum est, aeternitas valet, tantum ad fidem veritas.
For as eternity is to that which has arisen, so is truth to belief.
Quocirca si forte de deorum natura ortuque mundi disserentes minus id, quod avemus animo, consequemur, ut tota dilucide et plane exornata oratio sibi constet et ex omni parte secum ipsa consentiat, haut sane erit mirum, contentique esse debebitis, si probabilia dicentur.
Wherefore, if perchance, in discussing the nature of the gods and the origin of the world, we do not fully attain that which we desire in our minds—namely, that our whole discourse, clearly and plainly adorned, should be consistent with itself and agree with itself in every part—it will by no means be a wonder, and you ought to be content if things that are probable are spoken.
Aequum est enim meminisse et me, qui disseram, hominem esse et vos, qui iudicetis, ut, si probabilia dicentur, ne quid ultra requiratis.
For it is fair to remember both that I who speak am a man, and that you who judge are men, so that, if things that are probable are spoken, you should require nothing further.